民主主義 現代的 理解 = MODERN UNDERSTANDING OF DEMOCRACY

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The purpose of this paper is to better understand what democracy means to modern man particularly to the people who live in the developing countries such as Korea. Only a few educated persons understood what the term implied when Korea regained it's sovereignty in August, 1945. There was no teacher who taught the Korean people the significance of the term. It was a vague word, and therefore it was variously interpreted. Most Koreans thought that it meant some sort of political system that would cure all political ills. The Americans who had come to Korea at the time were pragmatic people and they did not bother to teach the native people the spiritual significance of the term. The people thought that the system must be good, otherwise most of the advanced countries would not have adopted it as their political philosophy. Even today, after 35 years of trial and error, the people believe democracy means a political system and no more.
The fundamental philosophy of democracy has as it's spiritual core: The sovereignty of the individual. Every existing thing has some value in varying degrees. Above all, values, however, is the individual. In other words, nothing is more precious and valuable than the individual person. Democracy believes that everything is created to save him; man is never to be exploited for some other thing, living or dead. He is a supreme being, never to be treatsed as a means, as Kant pointed out. If a political system serves people well, it is a good system. Those who believe in democracy think democracy is better than any other ever tried.
Two fundamental values exit in democracy: freedom and equality. It is freedom that furnishes the very climate to grow one's native possibilities so that be may become his best. It is equality that allows people to enjoy equal opportunity to become his best self. It is upon these two foundations democracy is built. These two forces check each other so as to prevent freedom from becoming licence, and equality from stagnating into uniformity.
In spite of the fact that political democracy plays a major part in the life of a nation, and it has a long history of development; democracy is equally important in the field of economic life of the people. Unless democracy plays a major part in the economic life of a nation, it cannot produce and sustain a materialy satisfied society. Furthermore when we muse realize that it is an economically well cared people can produce spiritually superior values. We believe democracy must play a vital role in the life a nation. So far mankind has failed in this field. Democracy must see that wealth must be more or les equally distributed so as to insure a satisfied material life and a spiritually and culturally growing life.
Moreover, we must not forget that our social life demands democracy. Hither-to-fore, democracy mainly neglected to apply democracy in this field. It is to be recalled that in ancient Athens, where democracy first was tried, democracy meant a right to be enjoyed by a small number of privilegedmen, barring a much larger number of slaves from exercing this right. It was not until the last century that women were allowed to take a part in political affairs. What we need is for the entire people to be able to participate in all the affairs of a society regardless of one's color, race, wealth, station, sex, etc. People are all children of God and should be regarded as such.
Every individual has a right-to enjoy a happly, satisfied life. Socially everyone, including women and children, should be treated equally as a worthy individual. This is the true way of democracy.